Pool Completion is Here!

Well, complete enough to use it… ☺️

Before the plaster could begin the pool had to be cleaned out, so a team of three came to vacuum and pick up debris out of the recently pumped-out pool.

I realized this was the last chance we had to see our handprints in the concrete shell of the deck. Awww-uh!

Goodbye handprints!

The next morning the crew arrived around 6:30 am and made quick work of plastering the pool. In fact, they were cleaned up and out of here by 11 am-ish. It was fascinating to watch them work with their system of ropes tied to our cedar posts and looping hoses over them.

The crew also cut off all the pipes and installed the water return valves.

The next day the crew came back to do an acid wash on the plaster. The acid wash allows the aggregated pebbles to come out. It gives the pool color some depth and that grippy toe feel we’ve all noticed in swimming pools.

With the acid wash completed, they emptied several containers of a chemical call StartUp Tec, which is used (as you might guess) when they start up the pool for the first time.

And with that it was time to start filling the pool!

It took 43 hours for the pool to fill. Good thing I’m a patient person (that’s a joke)….

Finally it was time for the equipment to start up and for us to attend “pool school”. I have 18 separate videos from our pool school instructor and it lasted from 8:30 am until 1:30 pm. Yikes, that was a lot to learn!

Old faithful is up and running in the pool shelf!

The water is murky, but we were told that it would clear in a few days time. There are also a few things that are missing or not working properly. The ozone filter needs something or other and the two lounge chairs for the shelf pool have not been delivered yet…. But that didn’t stop us from having our first pool party with the Strever family right after pool school ended!

Since then, the pool water has gotten clearer every day. We are responsible for brushing the plaster on a daily basis for 28 days as the plaster continues to cure, and you can really see a difference after brushing.

We’ve also played with the pool options on our app. Yes, there is an app for the pool. We can turn on the spa, turn on the spa bubbler, set the spa temperature, and turn on and change the lights. We’ve had some fun with the lights…

I’m looking forward to using the USA color option for the upcoming Independence Day holiday!

Cycling through the pool light options at night

And with that the pool is officially open. We are hoping to receive the shelf pool loungers soon and get the remaining “punch list” tasks completed. In the meantime, we have our outdoor dining table, couch, and Adirondack chairs all set up. Not to mention the outdoor bar….

Until you come visit, thanks for stopping by!

Hugs, Libby

6 Replies to “Pool Completion is Here!”

  1. Wow! It looks like a wonderful pool! I am looking forward to enjoying it on a visit sometime. Does the bar serve martinis?

    I know the pool is old news at this point, but it has been a busy summer and fall here in Chicago, so I haven’t been keeping up with developments at Chez Binning.

    What is your next project? Or is everything done now?

    1. Hi Tim! Ha ha – yes, of course the bar serves martinis! We still have a few projects to finish inside the house, but it is more or less done. Looking forward to you visiting!

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